On December 13, we celebrated Saint Lucia. This festival of Roman origin is today transposed into the Christian faith, particularly in northern Europe. It is associated with the victory of Light over darkness. This festival, particularly important in Scandinavian countries, where the nights can be particularly long, is also found in France in different regions such as Corsica, Alsace or Doubs.
Dates and customs may vary, but what they have in common is a procession of young girls, wearing crowns of candles and dressed in red, wandering through the towns, singing. It thus marks, with Advent, the beginning of the Christmas period.
Bringing light to the heart of homes
Your candlesticks also have the function of bringing light to the heart of homes and particularly to tables. They are divided into three parts: at the very top, the patinated metal binet, probably bronze, is decorated with acanthus leaves, with a hem decorated with a frieze of pearls. In the middle, the barrel is made of ceramic, potentially porcelain, and bears a boat decoration for one and a landscape for the other. Finally, the base, also in metal, is decorated with a frieze of flowers alternating with rolled motifs. Previously simple utilitarian objects, over time these have become true objects of art that can be made in prestigious materials such as bronze, silver, porcelain or even hard stones. Some are also made by mixing materials, notably gilded bronze and porcelain. Thus, porcelain imported at great expense from China was then highlighted in Europe with ornaments in gilded bronze or precious metal. However, Asian porcelains are not the only ones to be “mounted”. When Europeans were able to master this technique, they also did so for Meissen or Sèvres porcelain, thus highlighting these precious materials.
As for your candlesticks, they are simpler in design, probably from industrial production. They would have to be dismantled to see if the ceramic used is indeed porcelain and if it has a mark, which would allow us to date it and know its origin. This type of object being very common on the market, we must remain cautious and set a reasonable estimate around 50 euros. A nice sum that would allow you to treat yourself to a little gift to warm your heart as the end-of-year holidays approach!
